The United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection (General Assembly resolution 70/186 of 22 December 2015) call for fair, effective, transparent and impartial mechanism to address consumer complaints, including for cross-border cases, and require online consumers shall be provided no less protection than the one in other commercial forms.

The UNCTAD DODR Project aims to be the first step towards the implementation of online dispute resolution (ODR) for consumers in Indonesia and Thailand. It assesses beneficiaries’ needs, benchmarks international best practices, strengthens local capacities and uses emerging technologies like block chain and artificial intelligence to leapfrog development stages and deliver ODR. 

ODR is an effective mechanism to provide consumer access to justice and redress for resolving disputes facilitated by the use of electronic communications and other information and communications technology. ODR has been on the rise as a mean to boost consumer trust in electronic commerce, including cross-border commerce.

The DODR project is finalizing a report on national framework for consumer complaints handling and dispute resolution in Indonesia that states the need for a full-fledged national consumer ODR platform. The full cooperation of various stakeholders, including government ministries and non-government consumer and CDR bodies, is crucial for the success of a consumer ODR platform. A single access channel for consumers to lodge their complaints or disputes is recommended to facilitate consumers´ access. The report launch will help fostering cooperation bridges among national stakeholders involved in the Indonesian consumer complaints and dispute resolution system and will also help increasing Indonesian business and consumer groups’ awareness of the importance of consumer protection and consumer dispute resolution.